Cable grip



March 3l, 1931. P. J. MARTIN 1,798,693

' I CABLE GRIP Filed March 16, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTo/ 18 17 16Phi/ib J. Mar/U BY vg.. MM@

HIS A TTORNEY Patented Mar. 31, 1.931

UNITED STTS PHILIP J'. MARTIN, OF ELIZABETH, NEW JERSEY CABLE GRIPApplication led March 16, 19:28. Serial No. 262,211,

The invention relates to improvements in woven cable grips. These gripsare well known in the art and consist of a plurality of strands of wireor wire cord woven into an f6 open mesh hollow body, cylindricallyshaped and with means on one of their ends for attaching a draw rope.

In the installation of cables it is the present practice to use twogrips7 a pulling grip 10 and a luing grip. The pulling grip is used todraw the cable through the duct andthe luifing grip is used for luffingor pulling the slack of the cable into the manhole. Each grip is made asa complete article of manu facture, that is a mesh is made up with oneset of eyes or suitable fixtures at its end to which the pulling ropemay be attached for pulling the cable, and a different arrangement ofeyes or fixtures is permanently secured to the end of another mesh forlufhng purposes. The mesh part is the first part of the grip to wear outand when the mesh has outlived its usefulness the entire grip must bediscarded and a new one purchased.

The object of the present invention is to provide an interchangeablemesh that may be used with suitable heads for either a. pulling grip ora luflng grip. A device of this character has numerous advantages overthe present type of cable grip. A user makes an initial purchase of thepulling head and luding head and interchangeable mesh. As previouslystated the mesh is the first part to wear out. The heads beingsubstantial strong members will last almost indefinitely and the meshwill be the only part that is necessary to renew thus making forconsiderable economy as the permanent fixtures or eyes on either thepulling or lufling grip quite often cost more than the mesh itself.

In the installation of cable thegrip with the pulling head is used to'draw the cable through the duct. TVlien the manhole is reached and itis desired to lull' or pull the slack into the manhole it is onlynecessary to remove the pulling head and substitute the lufng head. Thismay be done without removing the mesh from the cable thus saving a greatdeal of time and labor in the installing. In the present practice it isnecessary to remove the entire pulling grip and attach the luffing gripwhen the manhole is reached and it is desired to lud the cable. v

Other objects and advantages will become apparent as this specificationproceeds. In the drawings forming a part thereof one embodiment of theinvention is illustrated. Referring to said drawings:

Fig. l is an elevation of the interchangeable woven open mesh cablegrip;

Fig 2 is a fragmentary view looking at right angles to Fig. l andshowing the upper part of the grip; y

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view through the pulling head;

Fig. i is an elevation looking at right angles toV Fig. 3 with part ofthe removable retaining plate broken away;

Fig. 5 is across sectional view taken on line 5 5 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the lufng head;

Fig. 7 is a view of the lufing at right angles to Fig. 6; and

Fig. 8 is a cross sectional view taken on line 8-8 of Fig. 7.

Referring again to the drawings the reference numeral l0 designates theinterchangeable woven open mesh cable grip. Grips of this general typebeing well known it is not thought necessary to enter into a detaildescription at this time. The grip is formed of a plurality of strandsof wire or wire cord l1 which are woven into an open mesh hollow body,cylindrically shaped. The gripping action of these grips is due to thechange of form of the meshes. lVhen a pull is exerted the meshes areelongated axially and are narrowed circumferentially, thus decreasingthe diameter of the grip and causing it to grasp the cable.

The wires at one end of the grip are divided so as to form two loops ortugs 12. These loops 1Q, are preferably formed so as to be absolutelyfree, that is, with no winding wrapped about them. This allows thestresses and strains to be evenly distributed over all the wires of thegrip. However the invention in its broad aspect would not be limited tothis construction, for example, in-

head looking firmly o TOO stead of the loops or tugs 12 illustrated, thewires might be secured to a suitable fitting with an eye formed thereinto serve the same function as the loops or tugs. While two loops or tugs12 are illustrated under some conditions it might be desirable toprovide more.

rPhe pulling head 13 illustrated in Figs. 3, at and 5 will now bedescribed. As shown it is a solid substantial member and round in crosssection so as to readily pass through a duct without catching on anyprojecting or rough edges. However it might be hollowed out forlightness and assume quite a different shape and still perform all itsdesired functions.

' One end of thepulling heard 13 is tapered as indicated at 14 and isprovided with an eye 15 to which the draw rope is attached.

At the region of the large diameter the opposite sides are flattened 'asat 16.v y Projecting from these flattened portions are lugs 17 aboutwhich the loops or tugs 12 are placed. To insure the loops 12 fromslipping off the lugs 17 retaining plates 18 are provided. Theseretaining plates are preferably so shaped as to complete the cylindricalcontour at the flattened sides of the pulling head.

Means of any suitable character may be provided for removably securingthe 'retaining plates 18 in position. As illustrated a plug 19 having acountersunk head passes through an opening 2O in the lugs and body ofthe pulling head'. A screw 21 is threaded into this plug from theopposite side, thus holding both plates in position in such a way thatthey may be easily and quickly removed or replaced, for attaching orremoving the loops 12 from the lugs 17 when itis desired to change fromthe pulling head to the lufflng head or vice-versa.

lThe luliing head 25 illustrated in Figs. 6, 7 and S will now bedescribed. The luffing head is preferably a trough-like member havingits end tapered at 26 for lightness and its vopposite end' 27 taperedfor lightness and also as an aid in accommodating the loops 12 of themesh 10.

Near what might be termed the forward end 27 are positioned at oppositesides the lugs 28 about which the loops or tugs 12 pass when the luflinghead is in use. Washers 29 held in place by screws 30 prevent the loopsor tugs from slipping off the lugs 28. An eye 31 on the under side ofthe lufling head forms a means for attaching the draw rope.

In the operation .of the device the mesh is placed about the end of thecable and the pulling head is secured to the loops or tugs 12. The drawrope which is made fast to the eye 15 of the pulling head drags thecable through the duct until a manhole is reached. 1t is then advisableto take up the slack in the cable. The screw 21 and plug 19 are loosenedallowing the retaining plates 181130 be taken off and the pulling headremoved, without removing the mesh from the cable. rIhe luffing head isthen substituted for the pulling head and the slack taken up in thecable. r1"he lufflng head is preferably trough shaped so as to provide arest for the cable. Due to the fact that the luffing head is used almostentirely in the manholes it is not essential that it be of a shape tofreely pass through the ducts. This is of course quite necessary withthe pulling head. The shapes of both the lufling and pulling heads mightvary widely and still perform their desired functions.

Changes such as those set forth and others that would occur to oneskilled in the art might be made in arrangements of parts and details ofconstruction without departing from the spirit of the invention or thescope of the appended claims.

TWhat l claim is:

1. A pulling head for an interchangeable woven open mesh cable gripformed ,of a plurality of strands brought together at the draft end intoa pair of freely formed'loops, said vpulling head being provided with apair of lugs to engage said freely formed loops, retainingmeans'cooperating with saidi'lugs to maintain said loops in position andremovable holding means for 4said retaining means.

2. Alufi'ing head for an interchangeable woven open mesh cable gripformed of a plurality of strands brought together at the draft end intoa pair of freely'formed loops, said luffing head being trough-shaped andprovided with a pair of lugs to engage saidV freely formed loops,retaining means cooperating with said lugs ,tof maintain said loops inposition and removable holding means for'said retaining means.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

yPHlLIAP J. MARTIN.

